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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. kid — to tease
  8. drill — army training
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kid — child
  11. drill — the tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. drill — a practice
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com